Broken Thunder
by the-effin-mitchell
Summary: Everything has changed for Ruby Rose in the months since she arrived at Beacon, and soon they'll be changing again. Twice now she's interfered with Roman and his heists, and for Cinder Fall, that's two times too many. But a look into her file piques the woman's interest, and after careful observation, she deems Ruby worthy of becoming her protege... even if it's against her will.
1. Prologue: Counting Thunder

**A/N: So, this isn't my usual fandom, but I've been a fan of RWBY for a long time and I thought I'd dip my foot in and test the waters. This takes place between Volume 1-2 and leads into 3, though the order of certain events might get mixed around. Forget everything you know about Salem and her Council of Creeps, along with the Maidens and whatnot; Cinder is the ultimate enemy here - no myths or legends, just good 'ol fashion good vs bad, and the lines between.**

 **I'll most likely write another chapter or two, and depending on how well its received, decide whether or not this is worth continuing. It's really just something I wanted to get out of my system for a long time, so we'll see how this goes!**

* * *

"One… two… three… four…"

 _ **CLAP!**_

"One… two… three… four…"

 _ **CLAP!**_

"One… two… three… fo-"

 _ **CLAP!**_

Thunder comes like the prelude to a song, a deep rumbling of the percussionist that builds in tempo, rolling through the darkened sky like the sharp crack of a snare. A storm readies itself on the horizon, marching to the beat of its drummers' call, summoning to its aid its allies of wind and rain. A nervous energy seems to crackle through the air in anticipation of what is to come, a cacophony of chaos in the otherwise peaceful land of Vale.

Sheltered from the weather - but no less a casualty to its cruelty - Ruby sits atop her bed, shrouded in what little moonlight remains, breaking its way through the heavy cover of clouds to bathe her in its glow. Silver eyes are transfixed on the world outside their window, voice breathy as she quietly counts the seconds between each clap of thunder.

"One… two… th-"

"Oh, for goodness sake! What _are_ you doing?" a voice interjects, as sharp and as biting as the lightning that fractures its ways through the sky above.

Ruby's lips tug into a frown, a defeated grumble disguised in a sigh as she whines, "Weiss! You made me lose count!"

"Four," the heiress scoffs beneath her. "You were counting to four over, and over, _and over_ again."

Ruby kicks off her sheets and rolls over onto her stomach, ducking her head towards the bunk below. "I was counting thunder!" she defends, a crevice forming between her brows as she narrows them in frustration.

"I'm sorry, you were what now?" Weiss asks, her earlier annoyance giving way to mild curiosity.

"Counting thunder," Ruby repeats, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. "You know… counting the seconds between every clap?"

"I don't even know what to say to that."

"Oh, c'mon!" the scythe wielder crows, dropping down to stand beside Weiss's bed. "Don't tell me you've never done it!"

A single brow, perfectly plucked and shaped, lifts as though to say, ' _Do I look like I know what you're talking about?'_

Clicking her tongue, Ruby sits at the foot of her bed and explains, "It's really simple! All you have to do is count the seconds between thunder. If the numbers increase, it means the storm is going away, but if it decreases, the storm is coming closer. I mean, you gotta count it out a few times to be accurate, but it's literally as easy as one, two, three!"

"That is honestly one of the most _ridiculous_ things I've ever heard," says Weiss, sounding less than impressed. "I mean, seriously? You can't tell the distance of a storm by timing thunder claps! There is nothing scientific in that method at all!"

"Well, I guess when you put it that way…" Ruby mumbles shyly, ears going red. "But… my mom taught it to me when I was a little kid. When the weather got really bad, and I couldn't sleep at night, she'd lay with me in bed and we'd count thunder. It was a game we used to play, and… i-it's kind of one of the only memories I have left of her…"

Whatever dignified response Weiss may have held lives and dies by the tip of her tongue, swallowed into the graveyard of her throat as she takes in the sorrowful expression of her teammate. Brief and fleeting, her eyes darken like dull steel, only to be replaced a second later by their usual effervescence. The action, to Weiss's dismay, does not sit well with her, sending a pang of guilt jolting through her body.

"I didn't mean to make it sound stupid," she murmurs, her own cheeks flushed pink with shame. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Ruby replies, offering a melancholy grin, "It's not your fault she's dead. I mean… I was very young when she died, and I don't remember a whole lot about her to begin with. Her voice, the way she smells… it's been so long, and the older I get the less I can recall. But I know I loved her, and she loved me, and… that's enough."

The words are soft and barely spoken, bitter yet resigned, and for all the vocabulary in the world, Weiss can't find a single word to say. So she stares instead, bewildered by this child who was suddenly so much older than her age allowed, wondering if Ruby's naivety and childlike nature was mere compensation for being forced to grow up too fast. Shaking away the thought, Weiss shuffles towards the end of her bed and, in an uncharacteristic display of affection, pulls the younger girl into a hug.

"...uh, _whaaat_ are you doing?" she inquires, taken aback by the unexpected - but certainly not unpleasant - embrace.

"Hugging you," Weiss states plainly.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ruby teases, much to the heiress's chagrin.

"Shut up and hug me back, or never, ever hope to receive one again," she growls, squeezing the team leader in lieu of hitting her head.

Ruby laughs and returns the gesture, wrapping her arms around Weiss in a far more gentle manner than her partner. "Thanks," she says, after pulling away. "That was surprisingly nice."

"Yes, well… don't expect it too often," Weiss sniffs, smoothing out the crinkles in her nightgown, as though to appear indifferent. "I don't just hand them out like candy, you know."

"I know, I know," Ruby replies, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.

"Now, if you're quite done, you should return to your bed and sleep," Weiss commands, shooing her back from whence she came. "We have class with Professor Oobleck at 9AM sharp, and I will not have my partner falling asleep during the middle of a lecture."

"Okay, fine - I'm going!" she replies, crawling back into her own bunk, creaking as it sways beneath her weight. "Night, bestie!" she calls, accompanied by the rustling of blankets and pillows as she makes herself comfortable.

Releasing a tired sigh, Weiss settles into her own bed, relishing in the lingering warmth of her sheets as she lays back and nestles into her previous position. Silence permeates the room, punctuated only by the sound of Yang's snores and the weather outside, the pitter patter of rain lashing against the roof in a building crescendo. Absentmindedly, she begins to count the seconds in her head…

' _One… two… three…'_

 _ **CLAP!**_

' _One… two… th-'_

 _ **CLAP!**_

' _One… two… th-'_

 _ **CLAP!**_

She continues to count until her eyes grow heavy and her mind descends, falling asleep to the tune of the approaching storm.

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 **Reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: I received a relatively positive response to the first chapter, so I guess we're moving forward for now. Still on the fence, but we'll give it another chapter or two before I make my decision. Anyway, not entirely happy with the writing this chapter, but I'm slowly learning that sometimes you just have to do your best and be willing to write badly (for a time) if it means getting to write what you really want. Anyway, thank you to everyone who left comments - those, more than anything, are the best indication to how I'm doing, and I can use all the help I can get lol. Again, this starts between V1-V2 and leads into V3, and I'm taking artistic liberty on the time frame, as well the order of events (and once more, no Salem!).**

 **Now, without further ado, please enjoy!**

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Cyan eyes flicker towards the window, a delicate hand pausing in its furious scrawling as Weiss's gaze lingers upon a curious scene. Through the fat droplets that bead upon their glass, a familiar figure dances freely beneath the steady drizzle, as careless as a breeze. The Schnee nearly chokes on her afternoon tea, sputtering into the mug at the ridiculous sight of her leader and partner as she frolics through the heavy mist, a maelstrom of red in the otherwise grey and gloom.

"What in _god's name_ does that girl think she's doing?" she murmurs, garnering the attention of her teammates as her cup clatters to the desk.

"Who's doing what?" Yang inquires, glancing up from where she sits on the floor, tinkering away at Ember Celica as she gives it it's routine maintenance. Even Blake, hidden beneath her precious book, is piqued with interest, as indicated by the slight twitch of her bow.

"That half-witted sister of yours," Weiss sighs, vaguely angry - but mostly just exasperated - as she reorganizes her books and material. "She's goofing off outside - _without_ weather appropriate gear mind you - when she should really be in _here_ studying for the end of semester exams. They're only two weeks away, after all, and her grades are barely acceptable as is. Furthermore, she's practically _begging_ to catch cold!"

"Huh? She's doing what?" Head tilted in question, the elder sibling rises slowly from her seat and lumbers towards the window, squinting to see through the myriad of translucent freckles dotting its pane. Hands braced upon the sill, hot breath meets cold glass, wisps of condensation bubbling in the air between. Protective by nature, Yang watches first with caution, lest her baby sister slip and fall. Ruby, after all, was prone to bouts of clumsiness, and the muddy ground provides little to no traction for her flailing boots.

Weiss sidles up beside the blonde, eyes narrowed and lips pulled thin with disapproval. "She's being absurd!" she scowls, voice laced with disdain.

"She's being Ruby," Yang corrects, a gleam of affection in her lilac eyes as she watches her sister sprint gleefully through the rain, skidding across puddles and bounding playfully from one to the next.

"She's acting like a kid!" Weiss huffs, arms crossed.

"That's because she _is_ ," the brawler reminds, mouth curved into a fond and gentle grin. "I know it's hard to remember, but Ruby is still only fifteen. She was moved _two years_ ahead of her peers, and immediately thrust into a role of leadership. That's two years of her childhood taken away… two years she'll never get back. You can't fault her for wanting to have fun every now and then."

"More like _all_ the time," Weiss grumbles beneath her breath. But as she watches the girl, careless and free as she is, she begins to feel her irritation and displeasure ebb away, leaving nothing but a mild sense of amusement left in its wake. Releasing her previous frustrations in a long, drawn out sigh, she tidies the remainder of her desk and snatches her umbrella from the closet.

"Going to join in on the fun?" Yang inquires, grinning teasingly.

"As if!" she scoffs, "I am a Schnee, and Schnee's _do not_ partake in such frivolous activity. However, I made a promise to be the best partner that I can be, and seeing as _no one else_ seems to care for their leader's health and well-being, it is up _to me_ to make sure she doesn't get sick. Now… where is her raincoat?"

The blonde shrugs and shakes her head. "She doesn't have one."

Weiss's hands fly into the air. "Seriously?!"

Five minutes, two playful jabs from Yang, and one borrowed jacket later, a disgruntled Weiss finally makes her way down to the courtyard. With nothing standing between her and the wet weather but a flimsy umbrella and her warmest coat, she hurries to find her teammate, power walking towards the place she had seen Ruby last. Of course, with her signature red cloak, she isn't exactly hard to miss, and Weiss spots her almost immediately as she turns the corner of an archway.

Ruby stands upon the grass, no longer romping across the lawn, remaining almost frighteningly still for one whose semblance was speed. Her arms spread wide, head tilted upwards, lips curled into a smile, looking rather unfazed - relatively _content_ even - by the gentle rain that soaks her body.

 _'Mental,'_ is what Weiss thinks. _'Absolutely mental,'_ she decides.

"Ruby Rose, what do you think you're doing?" she bellows, marching the remaining few feet between them. "You'll catch your death out here!"

The poor girl has no time to react, smacked in the face with an unfamiliar coat as Weiss all but thrusts it in her direction. "Pfft.. pftt.. what the-?"

"Put that on," the older girl commands, bundling further into the warmth of her own.

"Weiss, what… why… where did you get this?" she asks, staring dubiously at the sweater. "This isn't mine?"

"I borrowed it."

"From who?" she questions, giving the clothing a curious sniff. "It smells funny…"

"From Jaune," Weiss grumbles, "Does it really matter? Just put it on already!"

"Eh, that probably explains the bunny…" Ruby murmurs, before slipping it awkwardly over her head. "Okay, okay! It's on! Happy?"

"Yes, now… come inside," she says, motioning for the younger girl to follow.

Knowing that there was no arguing with her partner, Ruby heaves a sigh of resignation and walks after the already retreating Weiss. As they reach the shelter of Beacon's grand entrance, she turns - one foot in the door, the other foot out - and pauses to take in her last moments of peace. The older girl, noticing the distinct lack of footsteps behind her, glances back and frowns at the failure to comply.

"Hurry up, won't you?" she insists, hands held firmly upon her hips in an irritated stance. "It's freezing!"

"Right… sorry!" Ruby apologizes, shuffling after her, boots squelching along the stone paved corridor.

Weiss's frown deepens, though her earlier annoyance gives way to curious concern. "What were you even doing out there?" she asks, as the other girl moves slowly past.

Ruby offers a half-smile, face flushed, though Weiss isn't sure if it's from the fever she's bound to have, or something else entirely. "Just goofing off, I guess," she replies, giving a non-committal shrug. "The weather has been terrible all morning, and it's only supposed to get worse overnight. But storms always break every now and then… y'know, when the wind isn't as strong, and the rain isn't so harsh… sometimes you can even see the sun. And I guess I was just always taught to enjoy the moments when you can."

She makes as though to say more, mouth opening to further speak, but seems to think better of it as she shakes her head and ends there.

"No, what is it?" Weiss prods, her interest caught by the peculiar glint in her silver eyes.

"O-oh, it's nothing! Just something silly!" Ruby insists, waving her hands as if to deflect the question entirely. But Weiss isn't so easily dismissed, staring intently at the dark haired girl until she has no other option _but_ to relent. "Okay, fine! Just _stop_ looking at me like that already!"

" _It's creepy…"_ she murmurs beneath her breath. Ignoring the retaliatory whack to her head, Ruby meekly continues, "It… it's kind of like time stops… for a little while, that is. Everything is just so loud and harsh, violent… _scary_. But then it offers a lull, where everything goes soft and quiet, like everything else in the world has stopped moving. And sometimes you just need that… for everything and everyone else to stop… to take a break, to catch your breath…"

She averts her gaze as she finishes, and it takes Weiss several moments to understand. What could Ruby - so lighthearted and free spirited - possibly need a break from? ' _Everything,'_ she finally realizes, as Yang's earlier words surface to the forefront of her mind. Ruby had gone from class failure to child prodigy beneath the careful but demanding wing of her Uncle Qrow, and then whisked away to lead a group of peers who were older and more experienced in both academics and combat. Furthermore, she had somehow landed knee deep in opposition to a crime syndicate - all because she had been caught in the wrong place, in the wrong time, and still stepped in to do what was right.

And not once since that fateful day, a few short months but an eternity ago, had she complained.

Ruby had once explained to Weiss the workings of her semblance, saying that when she moved, the world stood still. And maybe for someone who had to keep moving forward in order for everything else to stop, she had found her reprieve in between the rumblings of thunder and the gentle calm of a brewing storm.

Once again, Weiss is struck by the thought of this girl whose life and circumstance beguiles her tender age, and she feels her respect and admiration grow. "You're a strange one, Ruby Rose," she admits, though the delicate twitch of her lips softens the already weak blow, sounding far more affectionate than it likely should. "But… I suppose I wouldn't have you any other way."

A quiet mirth glimmers beneath sterling eyes, a crooked grin conveying Ruby's silent delight and her gratitude for Weiss's understanding. "And that's why you're the best partner ever," she declares, nudging her elbow jokingly into the girl's side.

" _Speaking_ of being the best partner ever," Weiss begins, as she's reminded as to why she'd gone after the hooded Huntress to begin with. "I will _not_ have you falling behind in class because you were too sick to attend. I'm afraid to say, but break time's over. You'll take a warm shower, dry yourself thoroughly, and then I'd like you to study flashcards with me for at least an hour before dinner. We have Port's pre-exam review in the morning, and I think you could be better prepared. "

At the slump in Ruby's shoulders, she adds, " _But_ if you promise to give your full concentration, I'll have hot cocoa waiting for you when you're done cleaning up."

"With marshmallows?" she gasps, a hopeful expression adorning her youthful features. "Please? I promise I'll study extra hard!"

"You can have _two_ ," Weiss concedes, and as Ruby whoops with joy, she decides that maybe the extra sugar and its inevitable crash is worth seeing her friend smile just a little bit longer.

* * *

In the derelict city that was once a pioneer of its age, withered mortar wilts like molten snakeskin, the steel framework of abandoned projects resembling more like skeletons in a graveyard than the constructs they were meant to be. Buildings and homes, once a motley of structures, lay decimated. Crumbled to the ground, what remains is but the dilapidated foundations of brick and mortar, concrete and steel, glass and timber; everything is stripped to their bare bones, and then some.

Here stood Mountain Glenn, the once future of Vale now shattered, brought to its knees by the greed and arrogance of man. Here too now stands Cinder Fall's domain, built from the ashes of a broken promise, stoked by the embers of a smoldering rage.

In the the remnants of a house she'd claimed her sanctum, she now sits in the ramshackle remains of an office, sipping wine by candlelight as she carefully leafs through shipment reports and project outlines. She looks every bit the diligent businesswoman, working overtime into the late evening hours, if not but for her current surroundings and those she chooses to keep her company.

"-if you weren't always such an ass-"

"-oh? If _I_ wasn't such a-… please, I am a _joy_ to have! It's _you_ who-"

"Emerald, Mercury," Cinder sighs, rubbing her brow as she lifts her gaze towards the squabbling duo, speaking as though they were children to be reprimanded. "If you cannot cease your incessant bickering, I will send you to the caverns and see if Adam cannot make better use of your time. Dust knows he could use the manpower."

At the threat of manual labor, both teens end the argument (over what, they'd lost track of time and time again) and take seats on opposite ends of the room, murmuring apologies to their Mistress.

"Good, now _be quiet_ until I have need of you," she commands, waving her hand dismissively. "Our guest should be arriving shortly."

Only minutes later, a knock on the door announces their arrival, and Emerald is up and out of her chair before Mercury can so much as twitch. Sticking her tongue at him, she twists the handle and pulls it open to reveal…

"Oh, it's you," she states, voice flat and whatever previous excitement she may have felt as dead as the streets outside.

"Oh, it's you," Roman mocks, nudging her aside with his cane as he flourishes his hat and bows before Cinder. "A pleasant evening to you, Cinder," he greets, curt but courteous before turning, regarding Emerald and Mercury as though in afterthought, and adding, "Thing one. Thing two."

"Hey!" they both cry, silenced only as Cinder raises her hand sharply, reminding them of her earlier threat. The two settle down immediately, grumbling beneath their breath as they move to take their usual place behind her.

"Roman," she acknowledges, "I see you haven't changed. It's been quite some time since we've last met face to face."

"Dust shipments won't rob themselves," he quips, lips curled into an arrogant smirk.

"Yes, I see that," she replies, indicating to the pile of paperwork before her. "You've done an admirable job thus far, though there is a discrepancy in the reports that I'd like to discuss with you."

"Dis… discrepancy?" he asks, tugging at his collar as his body slowly heats, breaking nervously into a sweat. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I've brought in over twice the amount of Dust you asked for this month alone, and I've met my quota for every month thus far."

"As I said, you've done well, and I am pleased by your performance," Cinder begins, grabbing several papers from her pile and distributing them neatly before him along the desk. "However, I do notice that about a week ago, you intercepted a large shipment at Vale's dockyard. The manifesto claims they shipped in 1,500 pounds, and yet what you brought back that night was not even half. Do you care to elaborate, or am I to assume you are hiding something from me?"

She swirls her finger along the rim of her glass, eying him coyly as she asks, "Or perhaps… you thought to keep some for yourself? After all, as you said, you have brought in a substantial amount of Dust these past fews months - more than even I had asked for. It is… _understandable_ … that one might pocket the surplus amount and sell off market for some extra cash."

"No! No, you've got it all wrong," Roman insists, holding his hands up in placating manner. "I haven't stolen a _thing_ from you. _For you_ , yes… but from you? I'm not that stupid!"

"No, I suppose you're not," she replies, before taking her scroll and sliding it across the desk at him. "And thank goodness for that. But apparently you _are_ stupid enough to think that you could get away with losing a massive shipment to a group of Hunters and Huntresses. _Again._ "

Roman swallows the coal sized lump in his too dry throat, pupils blown wide as they dart between Cinder and video surveillance of the docks, recounting his battle with the two Faunus and their troublesome friends. Slowly, she rises from her desk, walking - almost gliding - around the furniture to stand before him, a delicate hand lifting to rest tenderly upon his cheek.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" she asks, capturing him in her gaze. "Just because we're beyond the signal of the towers, that doesn't mean news does not travel."

He can feel the temperature of his skin flare at her touch, not enough to burn but more than enough to cause discomfort. "Look, it happened, okay?" he begins, jerking back. "But it's not _me_ you should be talking to. If anything, blame this on Adam! That stupid cat girl was looking into _his_ organization, and if she hadn't been snooping around looking for them, we would have gotten away scot free!"

"Besides," he continues, defensively, "I _more_ than made up for what we lost! I don't see what the big deal is anyway!"

He barely has time to duck before a blast of fire sails over his head, Cinder's patience lost as she seethes, "It's not _about_ the Dust, Roman. It's the fact that this is the _second_ time now you've lost control of your heist, and if there is one thing I do not tolerate, it is failure. If you set out to steal a shipment of Dust, you best return with every last speck or never return at all. I broke you out of prison because I had need of your talents, but if you prove to be less useful than I had anticipated, then I will not hesitate to throw you back into that dirty cell I first found you in. Is that understood?"

"Understood, yes…" he replies, nodding frantically as he holds his cane defensively. "Can't be any more clear! Failure is not an option - got it!"

"Good, now… before I send you off, I have one last thing to ask you." Returning to her seat, Cinder retrieves her scroll and forwards through the video, pausing the footage as a girl in red appears. "This child... she prevented one of your first robberies a few months ago, did she not?"

"Not like the hired help was any good, but yeah, that's her," Roman confirms, scowling at the mere sight of her.

"And she showed up again at the docks?" she presses, pinching the screen to zoom in on her image.

"Kid doesn't know how to mind her own business," he scoffs. "Thinks she's playing superhero or something…"

"How naive," she murmurs, eyes roving over an eerily familiar face, white replaced by red and a more youthful appearance. "What is her name?"

"Red? Oh, uh…" He scratches his head, searching his brain for some inkling of recognition. "Rose, I think… Ruby Rose. Why? You want me to handle her?"

"No," Cinder replies, a finger now caressing the image as her lips tug into a wicked grin. "You do what I pay you to do. Leave the girl to me."

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 **Reviews are appreciated!**


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